Derek settled back in his chair a little, watching the just married couple interact. His heart was still a little tender, even though he was involved with someone else now. "A dollar for your thoughts," his lover murmured as he handed him a flute of non-alcoholic champagne.
"That much? Usually they're only worth a penny."
"Your thoughts never come that cheap, you should know that by now. They look amazing, don't they?"
He nodded and sipped at the drink, letting a soft smile spread across her face. "I can't believe she asked you to walk her down the aisle. I never saw that one coming in a million years."
"Erin's always been good at surprising us. Consider what happened." Dave let his head cock to one side as he picked up his fork and gently clinked on the flute. "Watch, her face is going to flush."
Sure enough, Erin blushed a bright red as she looked over at her wife. Penelope shrugged and leaned over, kissing her quickly before glaring at Dave. He shrugged a little before reaching out his hand to Derek.
There was no hesitation as he slipped his hand inside his lover's. "We should wait until their attention is elsewhere and then make them kiss again," he whispered conspiratorially. Dave gave him a roguish grin and nodded before claiming his lips in a tender kiss. "What was that for?"
"I'm proud of you. I know that we're both still reeling from their sudden decision. Hell, I'm still not sure when Erin moved from me to Penelope."
"I know." Dave looked at him in surprise. "It was at Christmas time. Penelope got Erin's children to relent and come visit her at your house. Of course, Penelope was at her side the entire time, which meant that I was there, too. I saw this shift in Erin, like she had finally seen Penelope, seen past the admiration to the heart of the woman she is. I wondered in that moment when they would come to you."
Dave shrugged as he glanced over at them. "I guess you're right. I should have seen this coming. At least I got something just as precious in the bargain," he whispered, kissing Derek once more.
"Hey now, we're supposed to be doing the kissing here, my fine Italian Stallion. The brides have come to claim their dances."
Derek smiled up at Penelope and took her outstretched hand, letting her lead him onto the dance floor. Erin was following suit with Dave and they couldn't keep their eyes off each other as they slow danced. Eventually, they switched partners, and he awkwardly settled his hands around Erin's hips, holding her close and listening to her contented sigh. "You look beautiful tonight, Erin. I'm glad that you've found love."
"And I am going to keep my vows this time. I promise." She met his eye steadily and he nodded before kissing her cheek sweetly. "Now, I suppose I should tell you, since I know you don't like surprises. Listen very carefully to David's toast in a few minutes. All right?"
He nodded and kissed her other cheek before leading her over to Penelope, letting them dance together. This time, it was Hotch who clinked on his glass and it was Erin who kissed Penelope, hungrily, as if she was tired of the public spectacle and wanted to put on a show for them. Dave laughed and he joined in as they went back to their seats.
After the dance, and three more kisses, Erin and Penelope returned to their seats at the head of the table, and Dave stood up, clearing his throat. "Tonight we celebrate two amazing women, who found love in a most unlikely place. Erin and Penelope knew that they had found the one, without recognizing it for the longest time, and then it hit them. I have never seen them as happy as I have tonight, and I wish them all the blessings and love in the world. And not to detract from this bright moment, but I do have a question of my own to ask."
He turned to face Derek and suddenly he knew what he was going to ask. "Here, in front of all these people?" he said lowly, so that just his lover could hear him.
"Yes. You need to be asked this in front of people. You need to know that your family loves you no matter what, that they're always going to be there, supporting you. What better way than this. Derek, in the short six months that we've been exclusive, I've found myself falling further and further in love with you. I've tried wives, they never worked out. Maybe it was time that I tried making my way through life with a husband by my side. Derek Morgan, will you do me the honor of becoming the first, and the last, Mr. Rossi?"
He looked to Erin and Penelope and saw that they were nodding encouragingly. He smiled at them as he shook his head slightly. "I will, as long as you vow to not let this change us in any way. Just because I'm Mr. Rossi doesn't mean that you get to order me around, you know."
"Perish the thought," he muttered, not taking his eyes from Derek. "Well, do you have an answer for me?"
It only took Derek one more moment before dipping his head slightly. "Yes, I will marry you. I will be your first and last husband."
"Good," Dave responded before kissing him lightly once more. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Dave." His heart felt lighter than it had in years and he smiled as they took a seat once more. This time, it was Erin and Penelope who clinked on their glasses, looking at them expectantly. Shaking his head once more, he leaned in and kissed Dave deeply, vowing to love him until the end of time.
NOMINATIONS HAVE STARTED FOR PROFILER'S CHOICE CRIMINAL MINDS FANFIC AWARDS! Calling all CM readers and authors! Join us for the annual Profiler's Choice CM Awards on fanfiction . net! Help us choose the best of the best of the CM stories on this site, and let your voice be heard. Please check out the nomination ballot and rules at the ProfilerChoiceAwards2013 Forum. All rules and information are on the forum. Nominations are due October 31st. All entries with ten or more categories filled out are eligible to win one of two Amazon gift cards!